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Hibiscus Coast Highway and Noel Avenue, Orewa – Road improvements Hibiscus Coast Highway and Noel Avenue, Orewa – Road improvements

Proposal status: Feedback closed 9 June 2020, last updated 16 February 2021.

Reference number: BYL-428 and FP1819-033

Proposal update

We advised you in August 2020 that we would be in touch with you when we knew more about how these projects would be impacted by the current budget constraints.

Hibiscus Coast Highway

This project is part of the Footpath Programme and is dependent on the level of funding we receive from Auckland Council. This year funding has been reduced due to COVID-19. Planning and design will continue but currently many projects, including this project, cannot be delivered in the 2020/2021 financial year.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide a construction date until we know more about the funding allocated to the Footpath Programme next financial year (July 2021 to June 2022). We will update you again with more detail about this project in the latter half of this year.

Noel Avenue

This project is now scheduled for implementation in March- April 2021.

In May 2020, we proposed changes in your area

To improve pedestrian safety and road safety, we proposed two new improvement projects in Orewa:

  • A new footpath on Hibiscus Coast Highway.
  • Broken yellow lines (no stopping at all times) restrictions on Noel Avenue.

Our proposals responded to requests from the community to improve walking connections in the area and to address parking issues. The broken yellow lines on Noel Avenue are expected to improve road safety by reducing the number of parked cars on this narrow road and allowing clearer access to properties. The new footpath aims to provide better walking connectivity and improve pedestrian safety along this stretch of Hibiscus Coast Highway.

Changes proposed on Hibiscus Coast Highway

We proposed a new footpath from 437 to 429 Hibiscus Coast Highway which will complete the gap between Noel Avenue and Puriri Avenue. This is expected to provide a continuous footpath along this stretch of Hibiscus Coast Highway. We proposed broken yellow lines (no stopping at all times) restrictions on the turn into Noel Avenue, with the aim to improve the visibility of people crossing the road here.

Changes proposed on Noel Avenue

We proposed new broken yellow lines (no stopping at all times) parking restrictions. This responded to the issue of cars parking on both sides of this narrow road.

Our proposal aimed to:

  • prevent cars blocking driveways and the turn onto Hibiscus Coast Highway;
  • improve visibility of people crossing Noel Avenue;
  • prevent drivers parking on the berm (the grass strip next to the road).

Download the proposal drawing for Hibiscus Coast Highway and Noel Avenue (PDF 1.63MB)

Orewa: Safe with us

Auckland Transport cares for your safety. We want to make our roads safe for everyone, people walking and cycling, especially for our kids and senior citizens and people driving. Projects like this one around Hibiscus Coast Highway are another step towards our goal of achieving no deaths or serious injuries on our roads. We are guided by the Vision Zero approach to transport safety, which prioritises human safety over other measures (like minor time saving).

Proposal outcome for Hibiscus Coast Highway and Noel Avenue

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on AT and the wider Auckland Council whānau. As a result, Auckland Council is implementing an Emergency Budget which will reduce AT’s capital and operating budgets. This could mean these projects are delayed. We will be in touch with you when we know more about how these projects will be impacted by the current budget constraints.

Once the budget is confirmed, the proposals will proceed without changes to the next stage of detailed planning before being implemented.

Thank you to everyone who responded to our proposals and gave us the chance to better understand your community and concerns. A summary of your feedback and our responses to community questions is below.

Feedback received for Hibiscus Coast Highway

  • Many respondents supported the proposal mentioning that it will improve pedestrian safety.
    Thank you for your feedback.

Footpath

  • Respondent expressed concerns about the impact of the construction on commuters using this road and the time taken to install the footpath.
    As with any roadworks, some disruptions are to be expected. A traffic management plan will be drafted during the next phase of detailed design. Affected residents will be sent letters with more detailed information before construction begins.
  • Respondent requested for the shared path to continue around or past the carpark.
    Thank you for your feedback. This has been passed on to the appropriate team and will be reviewed as part of a wider network strategy.
  • Respondent suggested to add a footpath on Puriri Avenue (similar to the footpath on Noel Avenue) to improve safety and access.
    This request has been added to the footpath request list, where it will be ranked and prioritised against all other requests. Our footpath programme can only implement a limited number of high ranking requests each year. However, we do share our footpath list with all the Local Boards. They too have funds available for transport projects, including new footpaths. You are more than welcome to approach your Local Board with the details of your request in the given year.

Hibiscus Coast Highway

  • Respondent raised concern about the lack of right turn bays for south bound traffic and suggested left turn only options for Florence Avenue, Moana Avenue and Tamariki Avenue to ease traffic congestion in the side streets.
    A right turn bay is not necessary along this section of road as it is a slow speed area and no significant delays were observed for vehicles performing right turn movements in/out of those intersections. These intersections are no different to any other T-junction intersection in the area. If right turn movements were banned here, the traffic would shift adding more pressure to the adjacent intersections.
  • Respondent suggested to move the current pedestrian crossing on Hibiscus Coast Highway near Marine View to the northern side of the highway as visibility is greater there and the road is too busy at the current location.
    The pedestrian crossing is located where most people prefer to cross the road. Moving this crossing to another location could make the crossing less convenient for pedestrians and increase the chance of pedestrians not using the crossing.
  • Respondent suggested to put ‘No Parking’ signs on the slipway alongside the main Hibiscus Coast Highway to allow for better visibility for drivers and clear access to properties in these areas.
    Auckland Transport does not generally install signage for no parking. There have been no reported crashes in the last 5 years which suggests that this stretch of road is operating safely.
  • Respondent requested to make the cycle way a ‘No stopping at all times’ zone to improve safety for cyclists and prevent them cycling on the footpaths.
    Please be aware that this is currently not a formalised cycle lane. The edge lines demarcate the shoulder where parking is not restricted. The removal of parking is not recommended as it can increase driver speeds and reduce road safety.

Feedback received for Noel Avenue

  • Respondents supported the proposal noting that it will help improve visibility of the entrance to Noel Avenue.
    Thank you for your feedback. We believe that the proposal will help improve visibility for vehicles as well as people crossing the road.

Location of broken yellow lines

  • Respondents requested to extend the broken yellow lines to both sides of Noel Avenue and opposite or near driveways as there are concerns that the proposed broken yellow lines will not completely stop cars blocking driveways or stop manoeuvring issues.
    This proposal aims to reduce illegal parking as well as ensuring that enough parking is available for a variety of users at all times. At present the parking demand does not warrant further removal of on-street parking spaces. However, if a vehicle is parking within one metre of your vehicle crossing and blocking your access, please call parking enforcement on 09 355 3553 with vehicle details and enforcement shall be organised.
  • Respondent expressed concerns about safety as cars parked on both sides of the road will narrow the road, and create a dangerous situation when drivers try to enter/exit their parked on-street vehicles.
    This proposal removes parking on one side of Noel Avenue which we believe will further reduce any road safety concerns residents might have.
  • Respondent raised concerns about emergency vehicles entering/exiting the road due to parked cars.
    We believe that removing parking on one side of Noel Avenue will improve access for emergency vehicles as well as other road users.
  • Respondent expressed concern that residents will still be blocked by parked vehicles, resulting in them unable to leave their properties.
    We are confident that the proposed broken yellow lines will reduce the percentage of parked vehicles blocking access and will improve access for residents. If a vehicle is blocking your access, please call parking enforcement on 09 355 3553 with vehicle details and enforcement shall be organised.
  • Respondent raised concerns that this proposal will still make manoeuvring larger vehicles such as boats in and out of properties difficult and make it difficult to reverse out of driveways.
    AT cannot justify removing all on-street parking on Noel Avenue. As the proposal stops vehicles from parking along one side of the street, we believe that manoeuvring of vehicles and reversing out of driveways will be slightly easier. This proposal aims to address parking and road safety concerns, while at the same time offer some balance in the on-street parking and layout design. With less parked cars on the street we hope this will offer better visibility for drivers.
  • Respondent queried the necessity of the broken yellow lines as many of the houses are holiday homes and not always occupied.
    Our investigations show that Noel Avenue experiences access issues and that cars park illegally over vehicle entrances or encroaching within one metre of vehicle entrances, especially during the peak summer months of November to March. Therefore, the intention of this proposal is to reduce illegal parking and enable easier access to Noel Avenue. We believe that by removing parking on one side of the road way, it will reduce visibility issues and ensure that parking is still available for a variety of users.

Beach access

  • Respondent expressed concern about access to the nearby beach.
    We believe that by removing parking from only one side of the street there will be easier access to Noel Avenue and the nearby beach.
  • Respondents raised concerns about the lack of parking in this area for people visiting the beach or visiting residents.
    We understand that there is still demand for on-street parking on Noel Avenue which is why this proposal aims to only reduce parking on one side of the road way. This ensures that parking is still available whilst improving accessibility to residential properties and reducing the illegal parking over vehicle entrances.

Other feedback

  • Respondent suggested to install parking bays where the current berms are located on Noel Avenue.
    There are considerable costs associated with creating more parking and there needs to be a business case developed that aligns with the AT parking strategy to ensure that each location is statistically and financially viable. Currently we do not have funding for increasing parking capacity in the long-term plan in the Orewa district. More investment in car parking can attract more traffic and congestion that can have negative consequences in the area.
  • Respondent raised concern that the drawing is out of date.
    Please note, our aerial images are from Auckland Council’s GIS system and sometimes do not reflect recent changes. However, please be assured that site visits and full investigations are carried out in the areas of proposed projects.

Next steps

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide a construction date until we know more about the funding allocated to the Footpath Programme next financial year (July 2021 to June 2022). We will update you again with more detail about this project in the latter half of this year.